OUYA: A $99 hackable Android game console

[lightyear420]

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We don't often report on startups without a physical product to their name, but when you've got sponsors like Ouya does, it's hard not to pay attention. According to a posting on AngelList, Ouya has recruited the talents of Yves Behar to build a $99 Android game console that you can connect to a TV, with a high-concept developer ecosystem that's as free as can be. Any developer will be able to publish games, claims the listing, and all games will be free to play. Even the underlying hardware is "built to be hacked" ? every customer who buys a retail box will get a dev kit in the bargain, the site claims.

As we alluded to earlier, though, it's not just Jawbone Jambox and One Laptop Per Child designer Yves Behar who's on board. The project's advisors also include Ed Fries of Xbox fame, Amol Sarva of Peek, Peter Pham of Color, and counts Julie Uhrman of IGN as its founder and CEO. There's also a gentleman named Muffi Ghadiali, who appears to be leaving Amazon's Lab126 where he helped ship Kindle. At $99, the Ouya would be playing in the same space as Google TV boxes like Vizio's Co-Star, but we're eager to see what games Ouya might attract. We're on the lookout for more details and hope to have them for you soon.

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Source:
the verge dot com

 

[Hand_O_Death]

They are doing a Kickstarter program now, saying that if they get $950,000 in a month the system will be ready in March 2013.

Kotaku just did a nice article on it as well. An All-Star Plan to Build a New $99 Hackable Video Game Console Requires $950,000 Of Your Money

Would be an interesting toy from a PC gamer stand point.

 

[91_z28_4me]

I think this would be better suited for console gaming & HTPC than just gaming. Elgoog should kick in a few hundred thou just to see what can happen with this, it isn't like they would miss it.

 

[Hand_O_Death]

And if they could partner up with Vizio and for another $50 have a CoStar thrown in the same device for good measure, I would never need to leave my couch.

 

[mrjoshw]

i disagree, i think they will need atleast a better processor by that time. the tegra 3 will be 13 months old when it is released.

 

[DroidDavi]

This a great idea. But if I already can hook my phone up using HDMI and play with a Bluetooth controller why buy a new box.

I understand the concept of a cheap game conceals. But why buy that if you can run all the games with a device in your pocket

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

 

[Hand_O_Death]

I believe it is to have a stable single base device to build off of. That way programmers will have the same starting device to work with as opposed to you having an S3, me having a GN, and someone else having a One X, the insides and base code is always the same and therefore will always be compatible.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Android Central Forums

 

[mkiker2089]

I was tempted to order one. I'm not an expert on processors but I wondered about the Tegra. Then again I'm coming from the PC world. PC's need that powerful processor because Windows uses most of it. If they can make it so the OS is very slim at least while a game is playing it may work.

However as with all consoles the life of the device is determined by the hardware. PS3s cost so much at launch because the hardware was new and difficult to make. We knew that going in and some of us paid for it knowing the price would drop. The Ouya is a bit cheap at launch so I'm not sure it will have staying power. They'll feel the need for an Ouya2 pretty soon and once that happens the dream is dead. The market won't survive fragmentation.

That's just my nonsensical ramblings however. What do I know after all.

 

[mkiker2089]

This a great idea. But if I already can hook my phone up using HDMI and play with a Bluetooth controller why buy a new box.

I understand the concept of a cheap game conceals. But why buy that if you can run all the games with a device in your pocket

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

To me the big advantage is the controller. For many the Move and Kinect aren't cutting it. A good controller is like a part of you. It is how you want to interact with the game.

Yes, I know some people have made controllers work on phones.

I also think it will be nice to have a dedicated game machine separate from my phone. Then again most people think I'm strange. I use a tablet computer and a dumb phone. I don't want apps on my phone and I don't want a phone on my computer.

 

[sammark]

i have to agree. mrjosh "they will need atleast a better processor by that time. the tegra 3 will be 13 months old when it is released". I can make my phone into a good controller.

 

[Ry]

They need software developers.

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Android Central Forums

 

[dinodinooo]

I personally think it's not going to be very successful because I think Android games are made to be played on handheld devices. Being a console gamer, I see no way that OUYA games can match the level of graphics or plot depth and details of traditional console games. Thus, OUYA becomes something like an in-between; neither here nor there. And if game developers want to create games that can graphically match those on say, the PS3, the price will go up too. And it'll be no different compared to the titles already present on the PlayStation Store. I'm sure it'll be very useful to game developers but personally, it's just not something that I'd buy.

i disagree, i think they will need atleast a better processor by that time. the tegra 3 will be 13 months old when it is released.

I also agree with this! By the time OUYA is released, Tegra 4 would probably be out already. So it becomes a catch-up game and the OUYA might get left behind.

 

[mixmastrzzz]

I don't think the ouya needs to have ps3 graphics to be successful. Have you ever played a game great graphics but it is unbelievably the most horrible game you've ever played...Clunky mechanics, Horrid Story Line. The ouya can be successful because It's open playstation development is known to be infuriating and difficult. Not to mention the price with this we see games from AAA titles to indie works. Don't get me wrong crapware will arise but in it's mist will be a glistening ShadowGun or DeadTrigger. Regarding the processor inside I agree Tegra 3 doesn't seem like a great choice for something released in 2013.

 

[MrSmith317]

I'm really interested to see how far this gets taken. What I mean by that is what can I do with an Ouya that I can't already do with another Android device? I don't really care about Angry birds on my TV. Can I make it a media station(that's cheaper than Sony's Google TV)? Will it run standard Android Apps from the android market? What other peripherals will it interface with..?? Can I plug a USB camera in and make my own Kinect?

I know some of these questions can't be answered until someone has the unit in hand(no pun intended) But the manufacturer should be able to able to say what we can and can't do with the product.

 

[NoYankees44]

If it's done right, it will be wildly successful. That is a big if though. They will need to have hardware relevant for at least 2-3 years. They will have to have as many third party developers in on the ground floor as possible. An they will have to be 100 percent open about everything.

If they get a bunch of classic arcade games and new indie games then it will work. That is a barely tapped market, and if everything is free or really cheap then they can dominate it. They can bring indie games to kids and teens that do not know about them on the net or don't have a computer to easily play them on.

Sent from my ADR6425LVW

 

[craZDude]

I personally think it's not going to be very successful because I think Android games are made to be played on handheld devices. Being a console gamer, I see no way that OUYA games can match the level of graphics or plot depth and details of traditional console games. Thus, OUYA becomes something like an in-between; neither here nor there.

I felt the same way about tablets before they came out and became a huge success. They were neither here (laptops) nor there (smartphones), and yet see where they are now. I'm not saying that will necessarily be the case, but it's a interestingly similar product.

There have been some good articles on the Ouya, and how it won't be a very big success, and i find it hard to believe that for that price they could possibly put in hardware that would remain relevant.

 

[Pengwn]

Can I make it a media station(that's cheaper than Sony's Google TV)? Will it run standard Android Apps from the android market? What other peripherals will it interface with..?? Can I plug a USB camera in and make my own Kinect?

It's "easily hackable" which means there will be ROM's for this thing as well. I'm sure the developer community will be able to bring us anything that doesn't come stock.

 

[Ry]

I felt the same way about tablets before they came out and became a huge success. They were neither here (laptops) nor there (smartphones), and yet see where they are now. I'm not saying that will necessarily be the case, but it's a interestingly similar product.

There have been some good articles on the Ouya, and how it won't be a very big success, and i find it hard to believe that for that price they could possibly put in hardware that would remain relevant.

Regardless of the hardware, they need developers to support it. If no compelling games are available, it'll be a flop. I don't care if it has a 16-core Tegra with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of app storage.

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Android Central Forums

 

[i1der]

Eco system is the key for me. How nice will work with play store? I wish "Q" was this

 

[mixmastrzzz]

Im positive developers will get on this all over twitter they have been talking about it even the people behind the unity engine tweeted they plan to support the ouya for unity development which means that anyone who uses unity could develop for it